Signaling device for automobiles.



L. K. GOTTSCHAIIL & J. B. AUFULDISH.

SIGNALING DEVICE FQR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATEON man DEC.12, 1914.

Patented May 9, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

L. K; GOTTSCHALL & J. B. AUFULDI SH. SIGNALING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES APPLICATION FILED DEC-1Z1 I914.

1,182,268. I Patented May 9,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- ra n @TATEd earner on on.

LORETTA KEIFER GOTTSCHALL AND JOHN B. AUFULDISH, OF DAYTON, OHIO; SAID AUFULDISH ASSIGNOR T0 SAID GOTTSCHALL.

SIGNALING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented ma 9, acre.

Application filed December 12, 1914. I Serial No. 876,918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LORETTA Knrrnn GOTTSC-HALL and JOHN B. AUrULnIsH, citizens of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signaling Devices for Automobiles, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawing.v

This invention relates to signaling devices for automobiles and similar vehicles, and is designed more particularly for giving traffic signals.

The object of the invention is to provide a device which can be operated from the drivers seat to signal both the traffic oflicer in front of the vehicle and following vehicles, to inform them of the movement which the vehicle carrying the signal is about to make, that is, to indicate whether it intends to stop or to turn to the right or to turn to the left.

It is also an object of the invention to produce such a signaling device which will be simple in its construction and positive in its operation, and, to this end it is a further object of the invention to provide means whereby the movement of one signal into signaling position will automatically cause the then exposed signal to be moved out of signaling position, so that only one signal at a time can be exposed.

m. Figure 1 of the drawings is a sectional vertical vlew taken along one side of the apparatus showing the signals and their controlling devices in elevation; Fig. 2 isa horizontal sectional view showing the signal operating devices in plan; Fig. 3 is an end elevation partly broken away; and Fig.

. 4 is a detail view of the selective operating mechanism.

In these drawlngs we have illustrated one embodiment of our lnvention and have shown the same as comprising a series of' apart different distances so that they may nest, that is, they may be arranged one Within the other to store them in compact arrangement when in their .idle positions.

Each arm of each signal carries a mark,

word or other indication, the indication carried by the one arm. being visible from one side of the device and the indication carried by the other arm being visible from the opposite side of the device. In connectron with these signals, we have provided a selective operating device operable from the drivers seat for causing a selected signal tobe exhibited, and the previously exhibited signal to be returned to its idle position.

. The signals may be mounted and operated to secure the desired results in different manners and, in the accompanying drawings, we have illustrated one mechanism which is satisfactory in operation.

As here shown, the device comprises a.

this casing is a shaft 2 which forms a Support for the signals, which are shown at 3, t, and 5. Each signal comprises an outer portion or signal proper in the former a -plate or, preferably, a frame in which is mounted a plateof glass or the like. These plates or signals proper are carried by arms 6, and these arms are rigidly connected one to the other to connect the signals in pairs and cause them to operate in synchronism. The outermost signals 3 may be connected directly to the shaft 2, while the signals 4: and 5 are connected by tubular shafts or sleeves 7 and 8, these tubular shafts being mounted one upon the other and upon the shaft 2. That portion of the casing through which the signal arms extend may be open, but is preferably slotted, as shown at 9, thereby partially closing the, same and proinplin .-..gnidesior. the signal arms. The

upper wallgof the casing and the front wall of the casing form stops at the ends of the slots which serve to limit the movements of the signals in the respective directions.

The several signaling devices being so of the signals may be moved into signaling position independently of the other signals. In the present arrangement of the device signaling position is that position in which the signals extend above the top of the casing, the signals being so arranged that the lettering thereon is readable when in that position. When the signal arms are in their horizontal positions, the signals are. in their inoperative positions. They may be concealed if desired, but this is not necessary, and theyare not so shown in this instance because when the signals are so ar ranged the lettering extends vertically and cannot be easily read and, therefore, is not effective as a signal.

i ate the several signals and Thesignals may be controlled to move them into and out of their operative or sig naling positions by any suitable mechanism. Preferably we employ a selective operating mechanism having means to separately actuin the particular form of the device here shown we employ an adjustable selector which has an operable portion. extending to a position remote from the signals where it may be readily actuated to cause the operation of the desiredsignal. It will be understood, however, that the use of a single selector adjustableto cause the operation of a selected signal 1s not essential to the carrying out of the in vention. lThe operating 'neclmnism in its main features of construction will be substantially the same whether a single adjustable selector is used or not, and will comprise an actuating device having an operable part arranged at a point remote from the signals'and connecting devices, whereby the actuating device may be operatively connected with the selected one of the signals. The actuating and connecting devices may be of various kinds.

As here shown, one arm 6 of each signal is provided with a crank arm 10 which may be formed integral "therewith and extends rearwardly and downwardly therefrom after the manner of a bell crank. Pivotally connected to each crank arm is a connecting device which comprises a slide bar 11 provided with a longitudinal slot 12 by means of whichit is mounted on a guide pinor stud 13 which is-mounted in an intermediate frame member 14 secured to the top and bottom walls of the casing and cooperating therewith to support erably, the several slide bars 11 are all mounted on the same guide pin and are of substantially the same length so that when the several signals are in their idlepositions this mechanism. Prefmesses of these parts being in the form of a shaft or push rod 16 and the other in the form of a spider 15 mounted on the rod 16 and having three arms which are so arranged that each arm may be moved into engagement with a difi erent one of the slide bars, and

- when one arm is in engagement with its slide bar the other arms will be out of alinement with their slide bars, thereby permitting the spider to move past these other arms without engaging the same. We have, in the present instance, employed a separate arm on the spider for each signal, as, in this manner, we can more readily avoid the interference of the arms with signals other than the one being actuated, but, it will be readily understood, that this is not an essential feature of the actuating device, as it may be of any shape which will enable it to be moved into independent engagement with the several slide bars. In the arrangement vided with indications to indicate the proper point at which the handle should be stopped. In the present instance these indications are in the form of recesses or sockets formed. in the face of the plate'and adapted to receive a spring pressed pin 19 mounted in the ham-- dle and having a knurled head 20, by means of which it may be actuated. The guide plate may be lettered adjacent to each socket to indicate the signal which will be operated when the handle is adjacent to that socket.

Axial movement may be imparted to the actuating device to cause the operation of the selected signal, in any suitable manner.

To this end the spider is rigidly secured to the shaft 16 so that it will rotate therewith and will move axially therewith. The handle 17 is keyed to the shaft by means of a pin projecting into a slot 21 extending lengthwise of theshaft, so that the movement of the handle will impart rotation to the shaft but the shaft may move axially independently of the handle. Preferably, the

actuating device is automatically returned 29 J. the noses and depress the detents to permit '-.tain the actuating device in proper alinem'ent withgthe selected slide bar. 1 [The vsignals maybe retained in their ele- .vated positions by any suitable mechanism.

:lnthe' presentfinstance we have provided j fione arm of- 'each signal'witha pin 24 adapted to be'engagmlbyv a'detent 25 pivoted on a studmounted in the frame member 14 near the top .ofthe casing These, 'detent's have beveled noses so that the 'pins' will engage the pins'to-move into operative engagement therewith. 'Thefd'etents for thearms of the three signals are preferably mounted on a single stuchas shown at26, and may be operated by asingle arm or a plu'ralityof arms. 7 In .the present insta'nce,- however, we have the pin carried by the arm thereof will en-- .shown the three detents as rigidly connected one to the other and provided with a single tail piece 27 to which is connected a spring 28 which tends to hold I the three detents,

which constitute ineflect a single detent, in

their uppermost orv operative position. Ob: viously, when any one of the signals is moved upward intoits signaling position,

gage the nose of one of the 'detents and ride ..over the same into operative engagement Y therewith and will thus be retained in its signaling position until the detent has been actuated to release it. It is preferable that the detent should be automatically actuated to release that signal which'is in signaling position before another signal moves into signaling position. To accomplish this we have provided a trip lever 29 pivotally 4 mounted between its ends on a Stud 30 carried by the frame member I l-and having one end provided with a pin 31 arranged in alinement with the tail 27 of the detent.

The other end of the trip lever is provided with a pin or bar 31 extending transversely to the ends of one set of arms for the signaling devices, and is arranged to be engaged by projecting portions or cams 32 secured to the respective arms near their points of'conplace during the first portion of the move- .ment of the signal. These signals may be mounted so that gravity alone will tend to move them into their inoperatlve positions when the detents are released, but we prefer to employ a light spring to impart the initial movement to each signal when its detent is released, and, to'this end, we have provided the several signal arms with crank arms or projecting pins 34 to which are securedcoiled springs 35, the opposite ends of which are connected with a fixed part of the frame. I It will be apparent, therefore, that as one signal begins to move upward the detent will be actuated to release the signal which is in. signaling position, that the spring 25 will move that signal across its center of gravity and that it will then move downward by gravity to its idle position. Preferably, the edge of the casing, which 'forms the support for the signals when in their idle positions, is provided with a buffer such as a piece of leather 36 to cushion the downward movement of the signals and reduce both the noise and the shock due to that movement.

The device being designed for night use as well as day use, it is desirable that means should be provided for illuminating the signals after dark. To this end we have mounted on the casing near the center thereofan electric lamp 37 which is so arranged that when any one of the signal devices is insignaling position the two parts thereof will be arranged on opposite sides of the lamp, thereby causing both parts to be illuminated and enabling the signal to be read from the front and from the rear at night as well as in the daytime. This lamp may be mounted in any suitable circuit and may be operated from any suitable source of current. In the present instance we have connected it in the lighting circuit for the automobile. A switch 41 is mounted on the frame which supports the casing, by means of which the circuit as a Whole may be controlled, thus enabling the circuit to be broken and the lamp prevented from being il-luminated in the'daytime.

The operation of "the "mechanism will be readily understood from the foregoing de scription, and it will be apparent that any v given group of signals may be provided to indicate any movement which the vehicle is liable to make, and that any one of these signals may be displayed at the will of the operator, and that when so displayed it will &

be visible not only to following vehicles but also the traffic officer in front of the vehicle. It is also apparent that the device is so constructed that the signal on display will be automatically moved out of signaling position when another signal is moved to that position, thereby -preventing confusion or mistakes due to the inadvertent retention of the former signal in signaling position. Further, it will be al'iparent that the device is simple in its construction and positive in its operation, that the parts are of such a 'her seat in the vehicle.

Construction that they will not be easily disarranged or rendered inoperative by the vibrations of the vehicle, and that the deviye is of such a character that it can be very readily manipulated by the driver in his or Where the device is mounted on the side wall of a losed vehicle the ope 'ating handle may be arranged on the inner wall where it can be easily actuated, or, if the device is used with a vehicle in which this is not convenient or practical,

' then the operating mechanism for tl actuating device may be mounted at any suitable point, and connecting devices of a well known type interposed betweei'i the same and the actuating device.

While we have shown one embodiment ot our invention, we wish it to be understood that this is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and we do not desire to be limited to the details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a signaling device, a casing, a plurality of visual signals individually movable into and out of signaling position. each of said signals com 'irising an arm pivotally mounted in said casing and a display portion carried by said arm, a crank arm connected with said signaha connecting device mounted in said casing for both sliding and pivotal movement and pivotally connected .to said crank arm. and a push rod slidably mounted in the wall oi said casing and arranged to'engage and actuate said connecting device.

2. In a signaling device, a casing, a plurality of visual signals individually movable and operatively connected with said signal, and an actuating device slidably mounted in the wall of said casing and having a part extending into said casing to engage said connecting device andhaving a part arranged exteriorly of said casing to form a handle whereby said signal may be operated.

3. In a signaling device, a combination with a casing, aplurality of visual signals longitudinal movement to said push rod and said member.

at. In a signaling device, a plurality of visual signals separately movable into and out ofoperative position, a slide bar connected with each of said signals, an actuator having a plurality of arms adapted to be moved into operative relation with the respective slidc'bars, means for imparting movementto said actuator to cause one of said arms to be moved. into operative relation with its slide bar,- and for imparting operative movement to said actuator to cause that slide 1); and its gnal to be operated. In a signaling device. a plurality of visual signals, each comprising two parts, connected one to the other for movement in synchronism and ea h part carrying the same indication, the indications of the two parts being visibie from opposite directions, and the two parts of the several signals being spaced different distancesapart to enable the several signals to be moved into alinement, and means for actuating a sel lected one oi sai d signals.

6. In a. signaling device, a plurality of visual signals each comprising two parts connected one to tie other for movement in synchronisn'i, eaclf carrying the same indication, and each having an arm, a plurality of nested shafts to the opposite ends of which the two arms of the respective signals are connected, means to independently actuate said shafts to cause a selectedsignal to be moved into signaling position, and a lamp ar 'anged to lie between'the two parts of said signal when the latter is in signaling position.

7. In a signaling device, a plurality of visual signals, each comprising two parts,

connected one to the other for movement in synchronism and each part carrying the same indication, the indications of the two parts being visible from opposite directions,

1,1ee,ees E In testimony whereof, We ailix our signatures 1n presence of two Witnesses.

LORETTA KEIFER GOTISCHALL. JOHN B. AUFULDISH.

Witnesses:

ROBERT LEE AMns, EARL H. TURNER. 

